“That one can convince one’s opponents with printed reasons, I have not believed since the year 1764. It is not for that purpose that I have taken up my pen, but rather merely to annoy them, and to give strength and courage to those on our side, and to make it known to the others that they have not convinced us.”
G.C. Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799), courtesy of 'Deogolwulf'

Wednesday, 07 June 2017

The real war

This post continues from the last in which I urged caution in exactly how we re-act to Islamic terrorism on our shores. I start on the basis that it is always necessary to treat governments with suspicion - especially one's own! As our current election has shown, and as the last American one confirmed, our politicians are not very bright. Of course, it's easy to be condescending because as private subjects (or citizens), we are not required to wrestle with the complexities of various desperately intricate policy decisions which we leave to the politicians. However, when those decisions begin to shift the parameters of individual liberty then "we the people" (to quote a phrase) need to be exceedingly alert. That is not to say that nothing must be changed to deal with new circumstances, our own people being slaughtered on our own streets is intolerable and, to quote yet another well-known phrase, "something must be done!" However, it is critical that whatever legal or political changes ensue they must be intelligent and they must produce results, not further and greater problems.

In the meantime it is necessary to keep an eye on the larger picture far outside the shores of this 'septic Isle', so it is extremely useful that The Spectator has reprinted an article by Douglas Murray first published on 2014 which points to the very heart of the Islamic problem - the war, and it really is a war, between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran. The timing of this reprint, which is an absolute 'MUST READ', is impeccable given the somewhat startling news in the last two days that Saudi has taken extreme measures, short of war but only just, against Quatar and other Gulf States. The attitude of the West to this coming conflict is, to say the least, exceedingly tricky. Under Obama, the USA backed Iran and the Shias but now Trump has shifted to the Saudi side. There is, it seems to me, a rank and ignorant outsider, little to choose between them. But, dammit, that's what politics is all about - choosing! Happily, sort of, our input is, and will remain, minimal - but that will not save us from the tsunami that might arise.

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"Under Obama, the USA backed Iran and the Shias but now Trump has shifted to the Saudi side."

Only half right. Obama tried to engage diplomatically with all sides and, in most cases, minimize the US footprint in the MENA region. His approach gave almost every player in the US, its allies, and MENA something to criticize, fairly or not.

Now Trump, or whatever advisors, whims or magic 8 ball that decides, seems determined to take the side of the Sunnis in an expanding religious war. That would almost certainly be a disaster.

As I've said many a time and oft, the ME war between Sunni / Arab and Shia / Iran is a godsend for the West.

That Specie article was one that informed my view.

- A self-service extermination camp for Western jihadists. Let them go, ffs! Let their hatred of each other that is greater than their hatred of us - or even of Israel, as beautifully highlighted by the radio conversation intercept - suck the poison of home grown terrorism out of the West.

- The parallel with our wars of religion. Let the war in the ME rake up and down its length and breadth until they get the "1 in 3's a gonner, isn't this stupid" wake up call, as we did in the wars of religion.

It adds another corroboration to the argument for letting the terrorists go to the ME: -

Imagine if Israel didn't exist and we hadn't encouraged its existence. We'd still have the Stern Gang over here bombing London - as they tried to do in the 50's - to add to the IRA and Hairies over the last 60 years!

The draw of the ME is like a magnet to all the nutters of the religions of the "holy" land, reaching out and plucking them from their grateful hosts and sending them to oblivion in a dustbowl dump that no-one except the nutters gives a shit about.

Perhaps it's Gods way of clearing up the mess he's made? " I spawned this problem in the 'holy land', oops! Best I clear it up there too. Sorry and all that. I must think of a better way to get you guys to see what it's all about. Maybe try Liberty? Oh, fuck, the bloody French fucked that one. Why do I bother?"

I am with Sod on this. Islam is in the stage of development that Christianity was at in the Middle ages. The horrors of that were bad but are nothing compared to what Islam can achieve as it is not a turn the other cheek type philosophy but has a convert or enslave or kill mindset.

Arm all sides (so long as all sides remain in the region) then, should one side appear to be developing an advantage, stop arming the beneficiaries of the advantage for some period while, at the same time up the deliveries to the lesser strategically/tactically inclined until, some stasis is regained then lastly, where an equilibrium may be restored, arm 'em all again and up to the hilt.

Preferably limiting only the lethality of the provided arms to oh, .38 caliber revolvers with maybe some bows and arrows, swords perhaps, and maybe the odd airship (dirigible) for any parties whose ability to do recon is hindered by a lack of camels.

Rinse & repeat.

(But most importantly - US Forces if they feel they must - go invade Grenada again. The one in the Caribbean not the one across the Atlantic.)

By George and all the Saints, they don't make 'em like that anymore, do they?!

"I am with Sod on this. Islam is in the stage of development that Christianity was at in the Middle ages. The horrors of that were bad but are nothing compared to what Islam can achieve as it is not a turn the other cheek type philosophy but has a convert or enslave or kill mindset."

Yep. They may have to go 1 out of 2's a gonner before the Eureka "This is really stupid isn't it?" moment, whereas we only went 1 out of 3.

Oh dear, what a pity, never mind.

I'm heading off for the poll, right now, feelin' Clint-ish, with my trigger finger twitching on the pencil ... which will it be: The Good, the Bad, or the Ugly?